A Fairfax, Virginia, man was found guilty of second-degree assault in a Montgomery County, Maryland, court this week based on video footage captured by a drone.

The jury trial conviction Wednesday was the first to result from the county’s Drone as First Responder program. 

The drone, which was in the area along with a Montgomery County Police Department officer, saw Jovan Ali, 45, stab another person in the shoulder in Silver Spring on April 17, per a release Friday from the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The drone was “watching him take the knife out of his pocket, watching him stab another human being, and then … the drone followed him as he walked away and directed the police officers to the area two blocks away where he was apprehended,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy told NBC affiliate WRC-TV.

The MCPD uploaded the drone footage to YouTube.

“The drone video evidence in this case was critical for the state. We would not have been able to prove the defendant’s guilt without it. The value of this technology is immeasurable when it comes to public safety,” Mr. McCarthy said in the release.

The victim in the case required surgery after being stabbed. Ali is scheduled to be sentenced next month and faces up to 10 years in prison.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.